It's 8:28am when Steven arrives at work ready for his first day selling for ABC Enterprises. He walks up to the receptionist and says, "Hi, I'm Steven, your new sales person."
Looking puzzled, the receptionist responds, "New sales person? I didn't know we hired a new sales person. Hang on a minute." She calls a bunch of managers and finds out that she should take Steven to his office down the hall.
Getting settled in, Steven opens a desk drawer to find a moldy sandwich. He opens another drawer and finds the performance improvement plan for the prior office dweller. There's no PC on the desk and the phone has the name "Phil" on the screen.
As Steven peruses his office, employee after employee walks by, takes a quick glance and continues along. Yet, Steven hears whispers in the hallway. "Who is that guy in Phil's office?" Yet, no one dares to step into the office and meet Steven.
The rest of Steven's day continues much like this. As he drives home, his wife calls on his cellphone asking how his first day went. What will he say?
There's a common misconception that when a candidate accepts your offer that he is fully committed. That's not the case at all. Steven hopes he made the right decision, but he is keeping his options open. As part of your onboarding program, develop a first day plan that ensures a positive first day experience for your new sellers.
That first day will establish the relationship foundation. The question is... Will it be built in cement or quicksand? You, as the sales manager, are the one who makes that decision.